As my mind swims and muses, a thought alights on my gray matter … I’ve been writing a lot about the ignominious, mysterious and tragic fate of legendary Negro Leagues pitcher (and should-be Hall of Famer) Cannonball Dick Redding.

Cannonball is a Georgia native, raised in the ATL. But my all-time favorite singer and (in my contrarian opinion) the greatest soulster of all time, Otis Redding, is from Macon, Ga.

Two famous African-American Reddings from the same state. Hmmm … could there be a distant familial connection between the two? Perhaps they are both descended from the same slaveholder or slaveholding family …

It would take an extreme amount of work and historical digging to establish such a link, with the chances of coming up empty, or at least unclear, fairly high. But wouldn’t it be something, though?

And to add to the lofty notion, remember that the Big O died a tragic death as well, just like Cannonball. Eerie … or just coincidence? Or a simple dream? But, as Otis said, “I’ve got dreams to remember …”

Cannonball Dick Redding

The Big O (via http://www.otisredding.com)